NRA-ILA

The Institute for Legislative Action

As the lobbying arm of NRA, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is dedicated to any issue affecting firearms ownership and use. ILA works to defeat restrictive gun control legislation, to pass pro-gun reform legislation, and to educate the public about the facts concerning gun ownership.

November 6: A Historic Opportunity for Louisiana Voters to Protect their Gun Rights

September 25th, 2012

Chris W. Cox

With just one vote on November 6th, you can build an iron wall around
your Second Amendment freedoms and protect them from anti-gun, activist
judges.

That's because on your ballot this year is an amendment
to Louisiana's state constitution that would provide the most rock-solid
state-level legal protection for the right to keep and bear arms in the
nation. The language of the amendment reads:

The right of each
citizen to keep and bear arms is fundamental and shall not be infringed.
Any restriction on this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny. (emphasis mine)

The
key words here are "strict scrutiny." This is a legal term that
guarantees the highest level of protection to a constitutional right.
It's reserved exclusively for those rights that are deemed "fundamental"
— like the right to free speech or the right to vote.

For
decades, anti-gun judges and lawyers have fought against the application
of "strict scrutiny" to your fundamental Second Amendment rights.
That's because they know that without this gold standard of legal
protection, gun-ban politicians are virtually unbound to pass any
freedom-killing laws that infringe on your constitutional right to keep
and bear arms.

And in 1977, the anti-gun lobby in Louisiana got its way.

That year, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that your Second Amendment freedoms can be restricted for virtually any
reason. As a result, there is nothing in the Louisiana Constitution
that would stop state politicians from passing even the most draconian
anti-gun laws — including a ban on your right to carry a concealed
firearm for protection... even if you're in your own home!

As
Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, I get to
see firsthand the sinister ways state and local governments seek to
destroy their citizens' gun rights. The NRA is currently spending
nearly $400,000 a month fighting to defeat numerous anti-gun laws in
state and federal courtrooms across America.

The simple truth is
without this vital constitutional amendment, your gun rights as a
Louisiana citizen are ripe for the picking.

That's why the NRA
worked closely this past year with Governor Bobby Jindal, State Senator
Neil Riser, State Representative Chris Broadwater and other pro-gun
champions in the Louisiana legislature to overwhelmingly pass this
constitutional amendment and get it on the ballot.

But now it's up
to you! On Election Day, every gun owner and freedom-loving voter who
believes the right to own, carry and use a firearm is an individual and fundamental right — that no government can infringe upon — needs to get to the polls and "Vote Yes on 2!"

By
doing so, you'll send a clear message to all of America that Louisiana
is at the forefront of the battle to protect our Second Amendment
liberty!